Chapter 3: World English and Globalization

Learning Objectives:
1. Explain the implications of globalization on communication.
2. Explain the concept of World Englishes in the context of English being a global language.

Globalization
Globalization is a process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and
governments of different nations, a process driven by international trade and investment and aided
by information technology. This process has effects on the environment, on culture, on political
systems, on economic development and prosperity, and on human physical well-being in societies
around the world.
Globalization is not new, though. For thousands of years, people—and, later, corporations—have
been buying from and selling to each other in lands at great distances, such as through the famed
Silk Road across Central Asia that connected China and Europe during the Middle Ages. Likewise,
for centuries, people and corporations have invested in enterprises in other countries. In fact, many
of the features of the current wave of globalization are similar to those prevailing before the
outbreak of the First World War in 1914.
This current wave of globalization has been driven by policies that have opened economies
domestically and internationally. In the years since the Second World War, and especially during
the past two decades, many governments have adopted free-market economic systems, vastly
increasing their own productive potential and creating myriad new opportunities for international
trade and investment. Governments also have negotiated dramatic reductions in barriers to
commerce and have established international agreements to promote trade in goods, services, and
investment. Taking advantage of new opportunities in foreign markets, corporations have built
foreign factories and established production and marketing arrangements with foreign partners. A
defining feature of globalization, therefore, is an international industrial and financial business
structure.
Technology has been the other principal driver of globalization. Advances in information
technology, in particular, have dramatically transformed economic life. Information technologies
have given all sorts of individual economic actors—consumers, investors, businesses—valuable
new tools for identifying and pursuing economic opportunities, including faster and more
informed analyses of economic trends around the world, easy transfers of assets, and collaboration
with far-flung partners.
The advantages and disadvantages of globalization
Generally speaking, international trade has benefited both developing and developed nations. It
has created employment and helped reduce poverty levels in the developing world. It has also
made some poor nations poorer. International trade and communications have both positive and
negative aspects.
When countries engage in trade with other nations, they are creating more opportunities for their
people. They can import their products and services to other nations and earn money. This will
help their economy. India, for example, has seen substantial growth in its GDP after its economy
opened up in the 1990s. Globalization enabled Indian companies to compete with international
companies. This improved wages and living standards in the country. Today, India is the fastest
developing economy in the world. This wouldn’t have become possible without globalization.
On the flip side, globalization has its share of downsides too. It has resulted in the demise of
several local companies that could not compete with multinational giants. In order to benefit from
globalization a nation needs excellent manpower and natural resources. If it lacks in these areas,
it will merely become a market where multinational corporates dump their products. As one can
see, this does not help poor nations that lack skilled manpower in anyway.
Globalization benefits a nation only when it manages to export something to other nations. If its
companies fail to compete with international companies, international trade will weaken local
economies.
To conclude, international trade and communications have both positive and negative aspects. It
tends to benefit countries that have excellent natural and human resources. Poor nations that lack
these resources are unlikely to benefit from opening up their economies.

Advantages of English as a Global Language

English has become the default global language. Someone who speaks English can travel all over
the world without experiencing any difficulties. English is also the language of business and
science.
There are compelling reasons to learn English. The primary benefit is that English has been widely
used for communication purpose ever since the days of imperialism. For instance, a tourist usually
uses English for a plethora of purposes such as asking for directions, buying food and so on. In
addition, English is the preferred language for conflict resolution around the world. Moreover,
scientific education is mainly imparted in English. For example, almost all journal articles and
conference papers are in English. Therefore, these merits vindicate the importance of the English
language.
However, there are some disadvantages to using English as a world language. First of all, it is not
easy for non-native English learners to become fluent in reading, writing or speaking
English. Furthermore, people in some countries find learning English to be extremely difficult
because of burgeoned differences in written expression. For example, each symbol is a word in
the Chinese language, hence learning English may be an arduous task for the Chinese people.
Consequently, people from non-English speaking nations have to learn English as a second
language in addition to their native language. But none of these are valid excuses for not learning
English because someone who speaks English has a clear advantage over someone who does not
speak English.
World English / World Englishes
 the concept of the English language as a global means of communication in numerous
dialects
 the movement towards an international standard for the language

Classification of Englishes
1. According to the group of users
2. According to the region
3. According to the social status

According to the group of users:

1. ENL: English as a native language, these are native speakers born in a English-speaking
country, having then this language as their mother tongue.
2. ESL: English as a second language, these are the non-native speakers who have learnt
English almost at the same time as their mother tongue.
3. EFL: English as a foreign language, these are the non-native speakers who learnt English
in a country where English is not usually spoken

Standard English

Standard variety is the variety of a language which has the highest status in a community or nation
and which is usually based on the speech and writing of educated native speakers of the language.

A standard variety is generally:

• used in the news media and in literature;

• described in dictionaries and grammars;
• taught in school and taught to non-native speakers when they learn the language as a
foreign language

Difference of American and British English

1. Vocabulary

The most noticeable difference between American and British English is vocabulary.
There are hundreds of everyday words that are different. For example, Brits call the front
of a car the bonnet, while Americans call it the hood.
Americans go on vacation, while Brits go on holidays, or hols.
New Yorkers live in apartments; Londoners live in flats.
2. Collective nouns

In American English, collective nouns are singular. For example, staff refers to a group of
employees; band refers to a group of musicians; team refers to a group of athletes.
Americans would say, “The band is good.”
But in British English, collective nouns can be singular or plural. You might hear someone
from Britain say, “The team are playing tonight” or “The team is playing tonight.”

3. Auxiliary verbs

Another grammar difference between American and British English relates to auxiliary
verbs. Auxiliary verbs, also known as helping verbs, are verbs that help form a grammatical
function. They “help” the main verb by adding information about time, modality and voice.
Brits sometimes use shall to express the future.
For example, “I shall go home now.” Americans know what shall means, but rarely use it
in conversation. It seems very formal. Americans would probably use “I will go home
now.”
In question form, a Brit might say, “Shall we go now?” while an American would probably
say, “Should we go now?”
When Americans want to express a lack of obligation, they use the helping verb do with
negative not followed by need. “You do not need to come to work today.” Brits drop the
helping verb and contract not. “You needn’t come to work today.”

4. Past tense verbs

The past tense of learn in American English is learned. British English has the option of
learned or learnt. The same rule applies to dreamed and dreamt, burned and burnt, leaned
and leant.
Americans tend to use the –ed ending; Brits tend to use the -t ending.
In the past participle form, Americans tend to use the –en ending for some irregular verbs.
For example, an American might say, “I have never gotten caught” whereas a Brit would
say, “I have never got caught.” Americans use both got and gotten in the past participle.
Brits only use got.

5. Tag questions

A tag question is a grammatical form that turns a statement into a question. For example,
“The whole situation is unfortunate, isn’t it?” or, “You don’t like him, do you?”
The tag includes a pronoun and its matching form of the verb be, have or do. Tag questions
encourage people to respond and agree with the speaker. Americans use tag questions, too,
but less often than Brits.

6. Spelling

There are hundreds of minor spelling differences between British and American English.
 Noah Webster, an author, politician, and teacher, started an effort to reform English
spelling in the late 1700s. He was frustrated by the inconsistencies in English spelling.
Webster wanted to spell words the way they sounded. Spelling reform was also a way for
America to show its independence from England. Webster’s legacy is in the American
spelling of words like color (from colour), honor (from honour), and labor (from labour).
Webster dropped the letter u from these words to make the spelling match the
pronunciation. Other Webster ideas failed, like a proposal to spell women as wimmen.
Since Webster’s death in 1843, attempts to change spelling rules in American English have
gone nowhere.

Key Takeaways

 Technology has been the other principal driver of globalization. Advances in information
technology, in particular, have dramatically transformed economic life.
 English has become the default global language. Someone who speaks English can travel
all over the world without experiencing any difficulties.
 There are six notable differences between British and American English.

End Chapter Questions

1. How has globalization affected the way people communicate across different nations?
2. What is the significance of the English Language in the development of a country?
3. Differentiate American English and British English.

Source:

What Is Globalization? (n.d.). Retrieved July 25, 2020, from

https://www.globalization101.org/what-is-globalization/

Six Differences Between British and American English. Retrieved on July 25, 2020 from
https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/six-difference-between-britsh-and-american-
english/3063743.html.